Elle Macpherson's personal trainer has revealed how to get her supermodel body

Their personal trainer, Nicola Addison, has revealed her 20 best fitness tips to Healthista.

1. Lift weights

Most calories are burnt in the muscles, specifically the mitochondria, which create energy required for the body.

So, muscles are the furnaces – the more furnaces you have fired up, or the greater the mass of muscle that is active, the more calories you will burn, not only in your workout, but also throughout the day as a boost to your basal metabolic rate.

2.Focus on compound movements

It has been proven that regular weight training can boost your basal metabolic rate by 15 per cent.

3. Work the correct ratios

Always work the chest to back, opposing muscle groups, on a 2:3 ratio; working the back 3 times & the chest 2 times.

It is common practise to see complete 10 sets of chest and 1 set of back.

This will lead to muscular imbalance and ultimately a strong, tight chest and a weak back.

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Don't be afraid to lift weights and stand proud if you want Daisy Lowe's incredible figure

4. Stand proud

Walking tall, lifting your chest and keeping your eyes on the top of the road will instantly remove pounds and make you appear taller and slimmer.

Standing proud is essentially thoracic extension, where you lift the chest.

It is often very difficult for clients (particularly if the client has a tight chest and a weak back).

When we complete exercises we must try and keep our chest lifted, this will help protect the lower back.

5. Eat your breakfast

Break the fast. Eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism for the day whilst skipping breakfast often slows down your metabolism as your body adjusts to cling on to any nutrients and calories it can find.

Food is energy, so without it exercise can be very challenging.

If you are a fan of early morning exercise try and have something light, a banana for example 20-30 mins prior to exercise.

6. Not all carbs are bad

It is a myth that eating carbohydrates after 4pm makes you fat.

Eating excess calories makes you fat!

Try and space four hours between breakfast and lunch and six hours between lunch and your evening meals making protein the base of all meals.

Complex carbohydrates are the good carbs because of the longer series of sugars that make them and the time it takes the body to them break down – these include brown rice, brown bread, quinoa and wholewheat pasta.

14. The 10/20 rule

Adopt a mindful approach to your food, exercise, sleep, stress, alcohol choices for 80 per cent of the time and allow for flexibility for the remaining 20 per cent.

The 80/20 rule is all about setting realistic goals – accepting that we cannot be perfect, and patting ourselves on the back when we achieve that 80 per cent.

Achieving 80 per cent across the board will see rapid, consistent, sustainable body results.

It is far better being consistently good at 80 per cent than being inconsistently excellent at 100 per cent!

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But you are still allowed to let yourself eat treats, just in moderation

15. Give yourself permission

Following the 80/20 rule gives you complete power and the permission to enjoy your life.

The 80/20 rule for me means that for five days of the week I won’t have that biscuit with my mid-morning cuppa, I will opt for a sparkling water over the bottle of BrewDog in the fridge, I will ensure protein is in every meal, I will make sure I go to bed at a decent time.

For two days of the week, I enjoy my curry, have that drink, go to bed a bit later, eat the odd Malteaser and just basically live guilt free with a smug smile on my face.

16. Attempt to increase daily movement

You can burn 250 calories more each day increasing incidental movements – walk when on the phone, do housework, even fidgeting will make a difference.

Remember, exercise is not expensive and can actually save money.

17. Try group exercise

For most people, the thought of exercise is not fun.

Group exercise can be a great way to inject some fun into your training.

Why not team up with a couple of friends to make it social and keep each other motivated.

Select a class that will be fun, as the more you enjoy it, the more likely you will return.

Remember, exercising regularly is the key.

The mode of exercise, particularly at the beginning, is less important. So chose a class that you think will be fun.

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Nicola Addison suggests that if you aren't confident in the gym, try a group class to make exercise more fun

18. Go heavy or go home

Don’t be scared to lift weights and lift heavy.

You can lift weights to help develop muscle without becoming a muscle Mary.

Muscle is metabolically active, burning energy even when at rest.

Meaning you will carry on burning calories post workout and far into the next day if you eat right.

Go on, venture into the weights room.

Women have much lower levels of testosterone, their hormonal makeup is not designed to add large amounts of muscle mass.

It’s simple;

Heavier weight lifted = more muscle worked

More muscle worked = more strength

More strength = more muscle built

More muscle built = less body fat

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19. Book into a yoga, pilates or meditation class

Whilst, not the biggest calorie burner you are conditioning and stretching your muscles, resulting in better overall athleticism and injury prevention.

I would suggest a weekly class which works perfectly as active rest.

20. Jump in the pool

Swimming is often overlooked but is a great workout as whilst it can be high intensity there is very little impact on your joints – so perfect for anyone within.

Start off small by completing 10 minutes in the pool of continuous swimming.

Don’t forget to do a few warm up and cool down stretches at the end.

Nicola is the founder of Eqvvs Training in Knightsbridge and the creator of Healthista's couple's workout series.

This article originally appeared in Healthista and has been republished with permission.

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